Tide-operated submarine signaling device.



.G. C. EVANS.

TIDE OPERATED SUBMARINE SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MARLI5| 1912.

. 1,150,816 Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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TIDE OPERATED SUBMARI'NE SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. I912.

1,150,816. Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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G. C. EVANS.

TIDE OPERATED SUBMARINE SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1912.

1,150,816. Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

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an %%TATE% Parana errata GRIFFITH C. EVANS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO SUBMARINE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF WATERVILLE, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

Speciflcation'of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1?, 1915.

Application filed March 15 1912. Serial No. 684,035.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GRIFFITH C. EVANS, of London, in the county of London, England, a-subject of King George V, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tide- Operated Submarine Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus of the type producing audible submarine signals, usually by means of a submerged bell carried by a buoy and struck by a hammer or clapper operated by suitable mechanism which derives its motive power from the movement of the sea.

According to the present invention the power required to give the signals is derived from submarine currents due to tidal or other causes, the apparatus being placed at such a distance below the surface of the water that there is no danger of fouling by ships or vessels floating on the surface. The apparatus is carried by a submerged buoy retained at the desired depth by a chain or line of suitable length connected to an anchor or weight on the sea bottom, the buoy preferably having a conical front and rear vertical and horizontal vanes which keep it horizontal and pointed against the current, whether the direction. of the latter is constant or variable.

To give the signals (usually strokes upon a suitably proportioned bell) a simple form of motor is provided, which is adapted for operation by the current .and is connected in any convenient manner to the bell hammer or other signal producing device. A

convenient type of motor comprises pro-' pelle'r or turbine blades upon a shaft which is mounted upon the buoy at the upper or lower side or axially at either end. The continuous motion of themotor may be converted into intermittent motion suitable for the striking mechanism of a bell or like signaling device, preferably by means which enable blows of constant power to be given.

Apparatus according to this invention is independent of external control and gives a convenient succession of signals automatically and without requiring special attention. As the apparatus is placed well below the surface, danger of interference by passing ships is avoided and there is thus no risk of the propellers of the ships becoming in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a longitudinal. section of a device embodying this invention, Fig. 2 being a cross section on line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 being an enlarged detail of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

The buoy proper comprises a casing lettered A, watertight in character and provided with a conical end or nose A and vertical and horizontal vanes A The purpose of the vanes is to maintain the buoy with its nose A pointing toward the tide. The vanes A have a suitable opening in them within which a propeller B may turn. This propeller B is mounted on the end of a shaft 6 which passes through bearings and a stuffing box b through the wall and into the 1 interior of the buoy, the stuffing box pre venting the inflow of water to the buoy. The shaft 1) carries on its further end a pinion 6 The wall a. and the corresponding walls a*, a and a form a compartment A within which the main mechanism of the device is contained and which preferably may be used to contain oil in which it is desirable that the mechanism shall run. This feature of the mechanism, however, is not shown in the drawings although it will be referred to later.

this ratchet C are mounted three studs (Z on each of which is a pinion D free to turn thereon and meshing with an internal gear E free to turn on shaft F These pinions D are all in mesh with a central gear F mounted on a shaft F to turn therewith, one end of which shaft is carried in a bear- The pinion 7) meshes with a gear 0 mounted on a shaft 0 The shaft 0 suitable bearings f attached to the wall a of the compartment, this bearing-being also a stuffing box. It carries at its outer end a pinion G meshing with a rack G Th1s rack G carries at each end a block G G and runs in a tube Gr which is preferably closed at its upper end, the blocks G Gr serving to center the rack in the tube, and the tube furnishing a bearing for the rack so that as the rack moves it will be properly centered within the tube.f The lower block G3 carriesa swivel eye Gr by means of which and'achain G the buoy is secured to an anchor or weight at the 'sea' bottom, and thus prevented from rising above the desired depth so that therewill be no danger of fouling by ships or vessels floating on the surface.

The gear E which is described as an internal gear has in addition teeth 6 on it's periphery which mesh with a pinion e on the endof a governor shaft 6 which shaft is'mounted in hearings in the supports 0 This governor may be of any known character useful for the purpose. The governor being no part of the invention is indicated more or less diagrammatically and comprises weights 6 on arms capable of being thrown out when the shaft 6 is rotated rapidly and which when so thrown out turn the vanes e so as to present greater or less resisting surface to the liquid contained in the compartment A Thus if the Weights are thrown out by the rapid rotating of the shaft 6 the vanes are turned to offer a greater resistance to the movement of .the shaft and as the shaft is slowed down thereby the weights approaching the shaft turn the vanes so thatthey will present less surface to the liquidand hence allow the shaft to rotate more rapidly. This is the usual operation of a governor. In addition the teeth e mesh with the pinion I-I connected with the bell-operating mechanism. The pinion His mounted on a shaft 72. suitably supported in bearings, 71 h", the bearings being suspended from a bracket it which bracket also furnishes a support for the pawl 0 On the shaft it is a pinion k meshing with a pinion h on a shaft 71. which also passes through a bearing in the bracket 71, its inner end being supported by a hearing it attached to the wall a. This train of gears is intended as a set of reducing gears to operate the rod J to which the shaft 71. is attached by means of a crank j, the purpose of this construction being to give the rod J a reciprocating movement.

, The rod J has attached to its upper end a crank arm J carrying also pawl 7' which causes the rotating of theratchet 7' This a ratchet 7' has a crank pin j attached to it to which is connected a rod 5,.

K is a bell mountedon top of the-buoy by the reciprocations of the rod i given to.

it by the crank pin j the clapper will be thrown from one side to the other of the bell and caused to strike the bell. In order that the bell may always be struck by a blow of substantially the same force an accumulating mechanism such as is now well 7 known and as is indicated more or less diatached to the inner wa of the top piece or,

cap K of the compartment A As shown in Fig. 2 where the crank pin 7' is on its dead center the spring is comgrammatically in the drawings, may be pressed; the moment, however, the crank pm gets over its dead center the spring is enabled to expand and thus drive the clapper K against the side of the bell opposite to that shown in Fig. 2. j 'being a ratchet and being free toturn onits shaft will be thrown around upon release of the spring k under the pawl j which will catch the teeth as soon as the ratchet stops its throw, and thereafter will continue to move the ratchet as the rod J 'reciprooates until the pin 7' again passes over the dead center when th operation will be repeated.

In a mechanism of this character adapted to be operated by tide motion it is necessary to provide for those periods in the day when the tide is running slack and the general operation of the device as a signaling dev1ce is as follows:-While the tide is running full the propeller B is running at considerable speed and in its rotation causes the rotation of the disk C. This disk in its rotation carries with it the pinions D. The internal gear-E, however, is restrained in and the other parts which engage with the teeth-e on the exterior of the gear E so that because of the difi'erential motion thus secured the shaft F is turned and consequentl the pinion G which travels on the rack (i and draws the buoy down toward the mooring chain. During the whole portion of the full running tide this action is taking place with a greater or less rapidity according to the run of the tide until such 'time as the tide has so far slackened as to materially diminish the speed of rotation of the propeller. When thisdownward motion of the buoy has ceased, its natural power of flotation tends to raise it and in raising it the movements of the pinions G and F are reversed and the pinion F acts through gears D and E to operate the reducing train of gears and the crank j and rod J which is connected to the accumulator mechanism. It is of course immaterial so far as the movement of the clapper is concerned in which direction the shafts h and h are turned because either way they cause the reciprocation of the rods J and j and hence the throwing of the clapper.

It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the compartment A is only sufiiciently large to hold the mechanism and it will also be understooclthat should it be desired as is certainly preferable the compartment may be filled with oil for the preservation of the mechanism rather than with sea water, the clapper passing up through-a watertight diaphragm K in a waywell known. This diaphragm binds tightly'on the clapper arm and serves to close the top of the compartment. Thus in the operation of this buoy, when the tide is running in one direction at full strength the propeller is not only ringing the bell but is also gradually causing the sinking of the buoy. When the tide has ceased to flow with sufiicient speed to accomplish the object the flotation of the buoy is suiiicient to cause it to rise and at the same time during the rising operation to operate the bell clapper by means of the rack and pinion, the buoy in the meantime swinging around so as to head into the changed tide and by the time the buoy has reached its normal level the tide has begun to run with sufficient force to reestablish the proper speed of the propeller when the buoy begins to sink again. The governor in any case should be so adjusted as to properly control the movements of the gear E according to the length of the rack as well as to the frequency with which the clapper is to strike the bell. In rivers where there is no change of direction of current due to the change of tide the buoy may be anchored without the intervention of the rack and pinion connection, the chain G being connected directly to the buoy and the."

current and propeller being relied upon solely to operate the striker.

As a matter of convenience I shall refer in my claims to the gear system or its equivalent which is moved directly by the propeller on the one hand and the rack upon the rising of the buoy on the other as a differential gear system although it may more nearly resemble a planet system. In any event I do not mean to limit myself to the precise system shown as other means may be used to accomplish the same result.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a device of the kind described, abuoy, a mooring means therefor, means adapted to be operated by current flow whereby said mooring means will be intermittently shortened and lengthened and said buoy will be correspondingly sunk and allowed to rise, a sounder, and connections between said prisin sounding means and said reciprocating means whereby said sounder will be operated. 1

3. In a device of the kind described, a buoy having a mooring cable, means adapted to be operated by a current whereby said cable will be shortened and said buoy sunk and upon the ceasing of the current the cable will be'allowed to lengthen and the buoy will rise, a sounder and connections between said sounder and said buoy-operating means whereby said sounder will be operate 4c. The combination with a buoy and mooring device therefor, of a sounding device, a current-operated mechanism for operating said sounding device, and a controlled means operated by said currentoperated mechanism for sinking said buoy and for releasing'said buoy upon the cessation of the current whereby the buoy may be permitted to rise with a gradual movement and operate said sounding device during the inaction of said current-operated mechanism.

5. A signaling buoy having a mooring cable, means adapted to be operated by current flow whereby said cable will gradually be shortened and upon the cessation of current will be allowed to lengthen, a sounder, and connections between said sounder and said cable-operating means whereby said sounder will be operated upon the shortening-and lengthening of the cable.

6. A device of the character specified comprising a buoy having meanswhereby it will float with one end constantly pointing into the current and means for causing it to sink comprising a mooring cable, a propel er and means connecting said cable and said propeller adapted to take up said cable upon the rotation of said propeller at predetermined speed and allow the buoy to rise when the speed of said propeller diminishes.

7. A device of the character specified coma buoy having means adapted to cause it to float horizontally with one end constantly pointing into the current and means for causing it to change its level comprising a cable and a propeller mounted to be rotated by thecurrent and means connecting said cable and said propeller, in combination with a sounder and means connected to said level-changing means whereby said sounder will beoperated by said propeller upon the sinking of said buoy and will be operated by said buoyduring its return to its normal level.

8. In device of the character specified, a buoy, a-sounder, a differential gear mechanism connected to said sounder to operate it, a propeller connected to said differential gear to operate it during tide flow, and means also operated by said differential gear mechanism to cause the sinking of said buoy during tide flow and adapted to oper-.

the speed of said'propeller diminishes said.

buoy will tend to rise and cause said gear system to rotate, a sounder and means whereby said sounder is connected to said gear system to be operated by it whenever said gear system is operated.

10. A buoy conical at one end and having longitudinal vanes at the other end, a.

sounder located on said buoy, means for op- I crating said sounder, and means-for changing the level of said buoy comprising a mooring cable, a rack connected thereto, a plnion running on said rack, a differential gear system connected to said pinion, a propeller connected to said diflerential gear system and adapted to be rotated by and at a speed proportionate to the flow of current to turn said system in one direction 'and cause the turning of said pinion to sink said buoy, said pinion being adapted to be operated upon the rising of the buoy to turn the said system, said system being connected with said sounder to operate it whether said buoy is sinking or rising.

11. A device of the character specified comprising a buoy, a substantially horizontal shaft mounted to turn therein, a propeller mounted on said shaft, said buoy being provided with means whereby said buoy will be maintained in horizontal position and'will maintain said shaft substantially parallel with the current, comprising horizontal and vertical vanes, a sounder and means connecting said sounder and said pro eller shaft whereby the movement of sai propeller will'cause the operation of said sounder.

12. A device of the character specified comprising a buoy, a .substantially horizontal shaft mounted to turn therein, a propeller mounted on said shaft, said buoy being sounder, said means comprising a power ac cumulator whereby said sounder will always give a signal of predetermined strength.

13. A device of the character specified,

comprising a buoy, a substantially horizontal shaft mounted to turn therein, a propel ler mounted on said shaft to turn it, said buoy being provided with means whereby said buoy will normally maintain said shaft substantlally parallel with the current, a sounder and means connecting said sounder and said propeller shaft whereby the movement of said propeller will cause the operation of said sounder and means also operable by said propeller whereby the level of said buoy will be changed.

14. A tideway buoy having a mooring cable and also having means adapted to maintain said buoy in predetermined position with relation to the tide flow, a propeller mounted in said buoy to be turned by said tide flow, a differential gear system con: nected to said propeller to be rotated by it, means connected to said gear system to be operated by it to shorten said mooring cable to sink said buoy and to operate said gear system upon the rising of said buoy, and a sounder also connected to said gear system adapted to be operated by it during'the sinking or rising'of said buoy.

15. A tideway buoy having means adapted to maintain said buoy in predetermined position with relation to the tide flow and also having a mooring cable in combination with a propeller adapted to be operated by tide flow, a sounder, a gear system connected to said sounder to operate it and to said propeller to be operated thereby and means adapted to operate said gear system whether the tide is running-or is slack, comprising means connected to said propeller to beoperated by it to shorten .said mooring cable and cause said buoyto sink, said means being adapted upon the cessation of tide flow and the consequent stopping of the propeller to be operated by the rising of the buoy.

16. A buoy having means adapted to maintain it in a predetermined position with relation to the tide flow, a gear system, a propeller'connected to said gear system and adapted to operate it in one direction, a

mooring cable, a, cable-shortening mechatem and a sounder connected to said gear system to be operated by it whenever said gear system is operating.

17. A device of the kind described com prising a buoy having means whereby it will be maintained in operative position with one end pointing into the current, comprising -horizontal and vertical vanes in combination with a bell, a striker, a horizontal shaft, a propeller attached thereto and operable by the said current, and connections between said shaft and striker whereby the rotation of said propeller will cause the striker to strike the bell.

18. A device of the kind described coma striker adapted to strike said bell, in combination with a horizontal shaft, a propeller mounted thereon to rotate said shaft, connections between said shaft andsaid striker whereby the rotation of said shaft will cause the operation of said striker, and means adapted to maintain said buoy in operative position with one end pointing with the cur-- rent, comprising horizontal and vertical vanes, said shaft running lengthwise of the buoy whereby said propeller will be maintained at substantially right angles to the current.

GRIFFITH C. EVANS.

Witnesses THOMAS RICHARD MADDEN, O. J. WoRTH. 

